Film and Writing Festival for Comedy. Showcasing best of comedy short films at the FEEDBACK Film Festival. Plus, showcasing best of comedy novels, short stories, poems, screenplays (TV, short, feature) at the festival performed by professional actors.

On his 40th birthday, Leatherface has decided it’s time to “find his truth,” so he reaches out to the one person who can help him… his only victim that got away.

Get to know the winning writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

It’s the story of Leatherface (from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) turning 40 and realizing the life he’s been living may not be the life he wants. Maybe he doesn’t want to hack people to death. Maybe he doesn’t want to eat people at every meal. Maybe he loves candle making but will never know until he goes on a journey to find his truth, and the only way he knows how to do that is with the aid of his one victim who got away – Mark. Mark survived, lived to tell the tale and even wrote a book about how he learned to live his truth because of what he went through. It’s an Odd Couple story in which both Mark and Leatherface realize how much they can truly help each other find their truths.

2. How does this episode fit into the context of the series?

I think it makes a great buddy comedy. You have two people trying to figure out how they want to live their lives and can only do so with the help of the other. One being a semi-successful self-help author and the other is a murderous psychopath. Each episode the two characters can have new goals of things they either will or won’t want as a part of their new lives. Leatherface has never dated before, never driven — basically never done much other than kill people, so there’s definitely an engine for plenty of stories. Mark is scared of life and wants to learn how to live it to the fullest which is also a great engine for many stories. I think it’s something we’ve never seen before in terms of pairing comedy and horror in the odd couple sense for a TV series.

3. How would you describe this script in two words?

Delightfully Psycho.

4. What TV show do you watch over and over again?

Arrested Development is by far my favorite. That and anything that profiles serial killers.

5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

I worked on this particular pilot for three months.

6. How many stories have you written?

I’ve written 10 specs and 7 pilots.

7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

I’m obsessed with the genre blend of horror and comedy. I had just seen “What We Do In The Shadows” and was like, “That’s what I want to do!” I kind of knew that all along because my favorite movie is “Young Frankenstein,” and I adore “Shaun of the Dead” but it just clicked that day, and I knew I had found my niche. I’m also so fascinated by Leatherface because we never hear him speak and I always wondered — would his life be different if he was taken in by a more “normal” family. Does he ever want to tell his mama to shove off cause he just wants to listen to music or kiss a girl? — so I wanted to explore the question of what would he be like if he came to that realization himself.

8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

None, really. This was one of those times where I loved every moment of writing this because it’s something I am passionate about so it made it fun. I couldn’t wait to finish to get feedback and make it better and better.

9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

I love to dance (was a semi-professional football cheerleader — will not tell you the team name because there are embarrassing photos out there), animals, fighting for the rights of others, making people laugh, sleep and donuts (GOD I LOVE DONUTS).

10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

I wanted to see what people thought of my script. Sometimes you give your writing to people and worry that they’re just being nice because they know you — with this — you didn’t have to be nice, and you were wonderful! The feedback was great and encouraging. Now I just gotta get those rights from Tobe Hooper!

11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

Just keep writing and always write. Write what you’re passionate about – not what you think other people want to read. Read scripts – lots of them. Nail down structure and story — if you can get those two things done well then the rest is a piece of cake. Also, forget doubting yourself. You’re not here to please anyone but yourself. If you’re writing to make money and wouldn’t write if you couldn’t make money — maybe you shouldn’t be a writer. And always be willing to take feedback — especially if you get the same note from several people. The goal is to get better and not think that you are already the best.

When a pretentious ad man levels down to work on his best friend’s landscaping crew, he must sharpen his new skills in order to prevent a rival lawn service from ruining their hometown’s natural beauty with artificial grass.CAST LIST:

‘Lawn Boys’ is about a city guy who learns to bloom where he’s planted by taking a job on his buddy’s landscaping crew back in his South Jersey hometown.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

‘Lawn Boys’ is a broad comedy.

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

‘Lawn Boys’ is outrageously funny, while being grounded in reality and has a lot of heart. It’s refreshingly original and sure to leave anyone who watches it with a smile.

How would you describe this script in two words?

Outrageously Funny!

What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

That would have to be ‘A Christmas Story’, by default.

How long have you been working on this screenplay?

I first came up with the idea way back in 2009 and picked at it over the years since. I fully committed to writing it last fall and it took me about six months to get it fully polished.

How many stories have you written?

I’ve written a couple dozen or so, but only six have made it into fully realized screenplays. I’m currently working on two other screenplay ideas and have several more in the pipeline.

What motivated you to write this screenplay?

I kept having situations and lines of dialogue coming to mind as if they were from a movie I’ve seen several times. This is the comedy movie I’ve always wanted to have playing on a lazy hungover Saturday afternoon.

What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

The ideal being to write full-time, I had to tear myself away from it in order to find freelance work to pay the bills.

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about living a life of radical self-expression and freedom to explore the wonders of nature and mankind.

Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

Yes! Get coverage wherever you can find it. When I posted an early draft of ‘Lawn Boys’ to a couple of listing sites, the feedback from reviewers and other writers helped me improve the script immeasurably.
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Synopsis: An emotionally shredded proof reader shares an apartment with a naive intern at a publishing house. When they decide to publish a rejected manuscript by an uncontrollable, priapic, egotistical and superannuated author their little island of dissatisfaction is blown apart.

Matthew Toffolo: The two main leads – who are the inspirations for these characters?

Adam Preston: Richard is a combination of two people I know – one who is very amusing and has a tendency to revel in his own failure and another who is very over-sensitive and damaged. Ollie comes partly from my cousin who escaped London and went to live in a tipi in a Scottish forest.

MT: Dr. Zahn is an actor’s dream. Was there a particular actor you had in mind when writing him?

AP: I don’t believe in writing for a particular actor because I want to create original characters and I think great actors want to do something new each time rather than repeat themselves. There is a rich treasure trove of actors who are the right age to play Zahn. He could be anywhere between 60 and 80 years old. My dream Zahns include Bill Murray, Jeff Bridges, Al Pacino, Robert DeNero, Ben Kingsley, John Malcovich, Dustin Hoffman, Danny DeVito, Harvey Keitel, Bill Nighy, Patrick Stewart – they all have incredible charisma and each would bring something amazing and different to the part – but how do I get the script into these guys hands?

MT: How would you describe this script in one sentence?

AP: It’s a comedy about two prematurely washed up young guys who are changed by an old egomaniacal over-sexed author who refuses to accept he is old.

AP: I tried different endings. Some where I gave the protagonists too much glory and some where I risked leaving the audience on a downer. I feel this ending gets the balance right – their book is a bit of a joke but there’s an eccentric readership out there who are going to find it – and they both get their love lives sorted out and Ollie escapes the big city.

MT: You’ve directed in the past. Do you see yourself directing MISPRINTS too?

AP: If the right director came along I would not stand in their way but I have been developing my directing career in parallel. Last year I made a short called The Last Post which has been showing at festivals all over the world and particularly in the States. Shorts TV have just picked it up for distribution and will be broadcasting it. You can watch the trailer for the short here:

MT: What inspired you to become a writer/director?

AP: I loved movies from an early age but I was a very dreamy kid and lived in my own world. I never thought about where movies came from. When I was at university I suddenly stumbled on the idea that you could make them- I was walking up stairs and a friend (Alex Michaelis – now a very successful architect) said “why not make a film?” It hit me like a thunderbolt. I persuaded my tutor to let me make a movie as my literature dissertation.

AP: I have worked as a portrait and mural artist and a cartoonist so I guess I’d be doing a combination of those.

MT: What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

AP: I’m looking for opportunities to both improve the script and get some exposure for the project so this ticks both boxes. The quality of the feedback was excellent – you could immediately see that it was written by someone who both loves and understands movies, and more specifically they immediately understood what kind of film I’m trying to make.

MT: Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

AP: I probably need to prove myself a bit more before I start dishing out advice!